MONROE, CT — A man drove his black, 2017 BMW X5 up a driveway in the High Meadows condo complex and entered a unit with his wife late Thursday morning. He looked out a window a few minutes later to see two men pull up in a white BMW 3 Series. One got out and entered the black BMW, before both vehicles sped off, according to police.
Police said the BMW X5, valued at approximately $55,000, had been left unlocked with a key fob inside when the thieves struck just before noon.
State police reported seeing the stolen BMW on Route 8 in Naugatuck, though technology was ultimately used to find the vehicle.
The victims did not get a good look at the suspects, but worked with a detective from the Waterbury Area Auto Theft Task Force and a BMW customer service representative to access the gps tracking system for the stolen SUV.
The gps system pinged at a parking lot in Meriden, where Meriden police officers recovered the vehicle at 3:20 p.m.
Police said there was no notable external damage other than small scratches, but the rearview mirror inside had been torn off.
Monroe police said items, apparently discarded from inside the stolen BMW, were found at Fireman’s Field at the corner of Routes 110 and 111 around 7:23 p.m. The owner came by to pick up his belongings.
DUI on Elm St.
A 56-year-old Monroe man was charged with DUI following a traffic stop on Elm Street Thursday evening.
At around 6:47 p.m., a police officer ran a check on the license plate of a white 2004 Chevrolet Blazer traveling on Monroe Turnpike, and the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles found the plate belonged to a 1990 Jeep Grand Cherokee, according to police.
The officer pulled over the vehicle after it turned onto Elm Street. Police said the driver admitted the plate was on the wrong vehicle.
During the conversation, the officer noticed the driver had glassy eyes and was repetitive while answering questions, police said, adding multiple nips bottles of Jim Beam whiskey were visible on the passenger seat.
The man admitted to drinking a few hours ago, saying he had vodka and whiskey, according to the report.
Field sobriety tests at the scene determined he was under the influence and both breath tests at police headquarters showed blood alcohol levels over the legal limit of below 0.08, with results of 0.317 and 0.305, police said.
The driver was charged with DUI, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and improper use of a marker plate. He was released on $500 bond for a Sept. 6 court date.
